The sit-in of a man in his forties named Bouabid, atop a water tower in Beni Mellal, ended in a tragic suicide attempt early Saturday morning, following three weeks of protest over what he described as the «mysterious» death of his father. A case that had initially drawn widespread sympathy took a disturbing turn after he assaulted a member of the civil protection team, pushing the situation into a dangerous new phase. In a tragic turn of events, a man called Bouabid, known locally as «Palestine», ended his three-week sit-in atop a high water tank with a suicide attempt in the early hours of Saturday, July 12. He threw himself from the top with a rope around his neck and was rushed to the regional hospital in Beni Mellal, where he remains in critical condition in intensive care. His act marked the dramatic conclusion of a protest that had drawn both local and national attention. A resident of the Oulad Youssef commune in the Beni Mellal region, Bouabid had taken to the water tank to demand a full and transparent investigation into what he described as the «suspicious death» of his father, a retired soldier. Three Weeks Atop a Water Tower Since June 24, Bouabid had occupied the top of the water tower in the Al-Zaytouna neighborhood, staging a solo sit-in while refusing all mediation efforts. Local authorities, family members, and representatives from the regional human rights council had attempted to engage in dialogue with him, to no avail, according to officials in Beni Mellal. But the standoff took a violent turn. On the evening of Friday, July 11, Bouabid reportedly tricked a member of the civil protection unit (a firerfighter) into climbing the tank under the pretext of a health emergency. Once at the top, he allegedly attacked the rescuer with a sharp object, tied him up, and pushed him off the tower. The victim sustained serious fractures requiring emergency surgery. Footage of the attack, which circulated widely online, shocked many, including those who had initially sympathized with Bouabid's caus, who argued that such actions could not be justified under any circumstances. Escalation and Intervention Following the incident, the Royal Gendarmerie moved in to defuse the situation. According to local authorities, Bouabid resisted violently, using sharp and blunt objects and throwing stones at responders. Security forces surrounded the site and placed a large inflatable safety cushion beneath the tank. Nonetheless, in the early hours of Saturday morning, he jumped. Authorities stated that all avenues for dialogue and peaceful resolution had been exhausted, and that the situation had escalated to a point where Bouabid posed a danger to himself and others. The public prosecutor had been informed at each stage of the intervention, and a judicial investigation has since been opened to determine the full circumstances of the case. Earlier, on July 3, the regional branch of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights had issued a statement urging authorities to engage in dialogue with Bouabid and calling for a fair and transparent investigation into the reasons behind his protest.
